Former employees need past employers

Former employees can use companies where they worked for networking and training

Gaining employment may be increasingly difficult for people nation-wide due to the instability of the economy. People may lose their jobs or get fired due to poor work performance, behavior, skills and lack of professionalism.

Still, there are many others that are let go from a place of employment due to a change in the companies infrastructure, size or budget. In this case, losing your job is not a result of anything you did wrong or did not do well enough, rather a result of circumstances out of your control. Of course, leaving a company may also be a decision of the person who is ready to move onto to another job, field or pursue other opportunities in life.

In any case, it is possible for the company to actually help former employees in their future endeavors. Consider the following tips on how companies can help for your own needs or that of an acquaintance.

Acting as a reference

Companies can help people who used to work for them to gain other employment by acting as a reference source. Most places of employment nowadays require a list of references or possibly a letter of recommendation as part of the application process.

Ask your previous employer if they will be able to provide a good recommendation for you with other job prospects to increase your success rate. Be sure to discuss with your former company if they are comfortable with serving as a reference and if they will have positive and supportive things to say. In this way, companies that give good recommendations and praise a worker can help them in future job offers.

Contacts

Use your previous employer to your advantage by asking your boss, as well as colleagues, about possible career contacts you can research. Most companies will have an expansive knowledge of other companies that exist in the same field of work. As well, they may know of potential jobs available or have contacts available at those companies to set you up with. Companies may be able to provide you with a directory of other companies and names to research and contact yourself as you start a new job search.

Performance reviews

Companies can assist former employees by providing them with performance reviews prior to departure. A performance review can detail what the employee's strengths and weaknesses are point out areas that need further development. Constructive criticism and feedback can help terminated workers develop a plan to improve the areas they are lacking in and avoid making future mistakes or errors.

As well, knowing the areas you excel in the best can be used to your advantage during a job interview. Playing up your strengths and how you can benefit a company will increase the odds of getting hired.

Be honest

It is imperative that companies be upfront and honest with terminated staff when discussing their capabilities and providing feedback. Telling someone who used to work for you only what they want to hear to be nice and avoid being seen as the bad guy will not help them grow professionally or personally.

On the flip side, being overly negative or mean when providing feedback and recommendations will not be beneficial either. Overly harsh and non-constructive criticism will only serve to decrease the their self-esteem further and make them feel defeated. Be open and honest with staffers but be sure to provide recommendations on how they can change or work on their weaknesses for the future.

Stay in touch

Staying in touch with former employees can benefit not only the them but also the company.

A company that has to let go of a worker due to budget cuts can increase its profits in the future and be looking to hire again. If people who no longer work for the company showed a good work ethic and potential, they may be an asset to return to your team. Furthermore, a staffer may leave for personal or family-related reasons or try a new field of work. If they decide they wish to return to the field the company specializes in however, it is a great opportunity to re-hire that person.

Any way you look at it, maintaining a positive working relationship between the company and former employee is the key to one helping the other. Companies can maintain a good reputation by collaborating with past members of their workforce and act as good resources to those in need.